The Shine in Sunshine
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day 225-231: As Rachel and Quinn try to decide how to proceed with what they've learned, a crisis arises.
1. Chapter 1: The Pair in Repair

_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th cycle. Now cycle 11!_

_After the 10th installment of the Sunshine Girls series, with the revelation, I figured I'd need something big to kick of the next chapter in this whole storyline. So this translated into... a seven-chapter story! Enjoy! :)_

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**"The Shine in Sunshine: The Pair in Repair"  
Rachel & Quinn  
Sunshine Girls #11  
[Divergence, Sunshine, Beams & Rays, Solar Eclipse,  
Let the Sunshine In, Sunrise Sunset, Dawn, Ain't No Sunshine,  
If the sun is shining..., ... we must be all-mighty]**

The mystery was solved. They both knew what had transformed them from the best of friends to bitter high school nemesis. It was a weight neither of them needed to carry anymore, only now they had something else threatening to take its place.

What were they supposed to do now? Now that they knew it all…

It almost went without saying that they would not become instant friends. Certainly they would never be the girls they used to be. But what went with maybe some saying was the possibility to find their way in between, to get them started.

A few days after the hospital incident, Rachel came to sit in the cafeteria, carrying both her lunch and the notebook in which she'd begun laying out some things for an upcoming number. A few tables away, Quinn was working along on homework as she distractedly got through her own lunch. It would be a few minutes before they'd happen to look up and catch the other's eye. Rather than ignoring one another, they shared a silent wave.

Rachel looked down to her things, thinking. They were both thinking the same thing, she could tell. If neither of them took that first step, then they'd just continue on the same path they had been on, and the small flame they'd managed to rekindle after much effort would just burn out again and then they might never find a way to light it again. No, they owed it to themselves to at least try. She nodded to herself, gathered her things and got up to join…

There was a collective startle, as Rachel turned and nearly collided with Quinn. They came to a stop and it finally registered with Rachel that Quinn had beat her to the punch. The blonde gave her a nod.

"Mind if I join you?" Rachel looked to her tray and put it back down, along with her notebook. She looked back.

"Sure," she smiled. Quinn put her things down, as both girls took a seat. Now the step had been made, though it still left the matter of conversation with its own barrier to cross. The easiest way in to actual speaking remained familiar ground. Glee Club, the baby… "How are you…" Rachel started carefully, indicating. Quinn breathed out, playing with her fork.

"Fine… Thanks." Rachel nodded. Quinn looked to the notebook. "English?"

"Glee," Rachel revealed. Seeing Quinn's interest, she opened the notebook and showed her. "It's for something I've been working on, I… I was thinking once it's ready, I can offer it to Mr. Schuester as a valuable exercise for us to…" She paused, sensing she was about to loser herself, which might lead to her losing Quinn as well. "Well, it's a work in progress," she nodded.

"It looks good," Quinn assured her, and Rachel smiled, caught off guard by the compliment. Quinn sat back, taking a bite from her plate before taking the plunge. "Do you think it's possible? For us…"

"We did, once," Rachel responded. "I know we were kids back then," she continued at Quinn's look. "But I just think there's still some part of us that is those two little girls, and… I think we owe it to them, don't we?" Quinn smirked. "Would it even bother us so much if they weren't still in our heads?"

"Probably not," Quinn agreed. There was silence for a moment, as both girls considered things, eating at the same time. "How do we do this?" Quinn finally asked. Rachel looked up, and then thought.

"Well… You want to come by after school, just… unless that's too…" she started to correct, but Quinn stopped her.

"Sure," she accepted. Rachel breathed out. Quinn looked at her with a joking glare. "I don't have to wear a tutu, do I?" Rachel laughed, shook her head.

"No, no… no," she promised.

"Okay, then I'm there," Quinn went on. The matter settled, they went on eating. The chit-chat was not a level they had reached just yet. But then the silence was disrupted by a new voice.

"Morning, ladies." Both froze, sharing a look of shuddering annoyance before they reluctantly turned in their chairs.

"What do you want, Jacob?" Rachel spoke firmly. He moved to take a seat next to her, and she pushed her chair Quinn's way to distance herself from him.

"It's not every day Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray sit to share lunch, is it?" he asked, as though he had his own answer. Before Rachel could pitch in, Quinn spoke up.

"We're working on something for Glee Club," she nodded to Rachel, who flashed him the sketches in her notebook.

"That's a solo," Jacob defied, and Rachel frowned, looking back at her pages before shaking her head and putting it back down. Jacob got back to task. "You didn't answer my question." They were lost. "Is this just a show, what's the angle?"

"What are you talking about?" Quinn asked, exasperated. Jacob pulled out a folded sheet and put it between them. They shared a look almost rock-paper-scissors-like before Quinn finally picked it up and unfolded it. Her face barely flinched. She folded it back once before handing it to Rachel, who took her turn to look. Her reaction wasn't nearly so collected. She was about to talk, but Quinn put her hand to her arm to silence her. "What is it we're supposed to be looking at?"

"I think you know," Jacob replied, both determined and victorious.

"It's a picture of a couple of kids, why should we…"

"It's you, I know it is. I'd recognize Rachel Berry anywhere," he looked at her, and her chair moved back a few more inches before Jacob looked back to Quinn. "And you did that thing with your eyebrow," he pointed, and she frowned as he got up. "Destroy it if you want, I have copies. I'll be in touch," he scurried away. Rachel looked back to Quinn… Now they definitely had something to talk about.

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2: The Black in Blackmail

_On we go to chapter 2!_

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**"The Shine in Sunshine: The Black in Blackmail"**

Quinn was more than familiar with the way Rachel got when she was upset. At this point she was learning to either try and help her ride it out, or just get out of her way. After what had happened with Jacob though, considering it affected her as well, she couldn't sit idly by.

"Where did he get it?" was the first intelligible thing Rachel said turning to Quinn. She shrank back awkwardly when she saw the look on Quinn's face. "Right…" she mumbled. Quinn spared her from saying out loud 'when you brought it here and lost it… twice.'

"It's been weeks, I don't get how he hasn't done anything with it before, I mean… What's the point?" Quinn shook her head. She looked back to Rachel, who'd grown remarkably quiet, considering where she was at, just moment before. "What?"

"I'm sorry, it's my fault," she nodded confidently.

"No, it's okay, I…" Quinn had started until she saw Rachel shaking her head.

"I… may have provoked him." Quinn closed her eyes, waiting for the story.

Rachel, like the general female population, had long been fending off Jacob's advances. It was just something they were aware they'd have to deal with. They had all figured out long ago how to do it, but there were times harder than others, be it whatever he did, or external influence. In Rachel's case, Jacob had chosen the wrong day for over-confidence, and he had gotten bit out in a most decisive way.

"I may have told him something he interpreted as an invitation for…"

"Blackmail?" Quinn finished. Rachel's evading look was all the confirmation she needed. "Great…"

"Look, it's fine… whatever he dishes out, we can take him," Rachel insisted. Quinn chuckled disbelievingly, and Rachel's confidence deflated. "We can _probably_ take him…" she amended, and Quinn agreed to this one. "I'm sorry I got you in this mess," she looked to Quinn. The blonde didn't reply, seeming lost in thought for a moment. When she snapped out of it, she looked to Rachel, who did her best not to appear as though she had been staring.

"It's not…" she started, then she shook her head up into a nod. "Let's just… wait to see what he wants."

They waited the rest of the day, before they found Jacob waiting, learning against Quinn's car, arms crossed in front of himself, 'tough.'

"Move, troll," Quinn demanded, and he backed off immediately. "So what do you want?" she asked, showing very clearly how she didn't care, wasn't scared of him.

"Don't worry, Fabray, I won't wear you out in your condition," he pointed to her midsection. She gave a squinted 'ha-ha' bit of a look, batting his arm down. He resettled his sleeves, clearing his throat before going on. "You have two choices: my demands, which I assure you won't get beyond the three of us, or public humiliation with the student body and the Sunny Gals," he nodded back.

"Sunshine Girls," they corrected at once. Jacob tried to pull his startle into a shrug.

"What do you want?" Quinn asked.

"She knows," Jacob smirked to Rachel, whose face scrunched in disgust. She looked to Quinn, who stared back, unaware. She leaned in to whisper it in her ear, and the previous facial expression transferred to Quinn immediately.

"Seriously?" she looked back to Jacob. He just went on looking smug. "Forget it," she shrugged before advancing on Jacob, cornering him against the car opposite hers. He shrank, and she towered. "I'm with Finn, he's best friends with Puck, and Puck _loves_ to mess with dweebs like you. Let's keep this civilized, shall we?"

"You'll never find all the copies, you know?" Jacob's voice wavered.

"Want to bet on that?" Quinn nodded. "Let's see who calls who's bluff," she stared him down. He stood back to his full height, and still, she had the advantage. He looked to them both before heading off. Quinn maintained her stance for a moment more before turning back to Rachel, who stood in awe. She smirked to Quinn.

"Have to admit, that was kind of awesome. " Quinn smiled back. "Do you still want to…" she asked.

"Definitely," she nodded. "Come on," she indicated the car. They got in, heading to the Berry home. The afternoon, coming off their face off with Jacob, was spent rather peacefully, with homework, and an accepted invitation for Quinn to stay for dinner, which greatly pleased Pop and Dad, who spent the meal catching up with the girl who, for a few years, had been like a second daughter to them. The girls had not told them about the pregnancy, knowing this could well lead to Mr & Mrs Fabray finding out. Quinn had left after dessert, after promising Rachel's fathers she'd come back again sometimes.

The next morning, Rachel arrived at McKinley, and immediately as she walked through the doors it was clear something was going on. She spotted Quinn first, at her locker. She gave her a look, and right away she knew. She saw them soon… It was plastered throughout the school, for all to see and snicker at… The All-Mighty Sunshine Girls' "secret identities," revealed.

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3: The Fall in Fallout

_Chapter 3, here goes!_

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**"The Shine in Sunshine: The Fall in Fallout"**

They didn't get a chance to talk all day. They had classes together, but no time to stop and discuss what was happening. Even at lunch time, there was no way for them to even get to one another.

Everyone was curious, everyone had a hundred questions. Neither of them was willing to answer them.

Quinn was under constant questioning from Cheerios and others around her. She just kept it firm: She had nothing to say. She had no problem stonewalling them. She was known for her ability to turn people with just one look or choice word. She had no real problem.

Rachel was in another place entirely. She wanted to find Jacob, she wanted to face him. She may not have had the menace that Quinn could channel ever so flawlessly, but she wasn't without her own ground to stand on.

It had taken a while for both of them to understand that there was something, beyond bitterness and animosity, which they could wield, even turn into some form of friendship. As hard as it was to believe, knowing where they were coming from, they believed it.

It was one thing for them to consider this new reality; it was a whole other thing to have everyone playing back seat driver to it. They wouldn't see the whole thing. They would see one picture, two little girls in tutus, throwing carefree smiles, no concerns at all… And their entire story, everything they were now fighting to figure out, it would just become a joke, something else for them to foolishly ridicule… They knew that; they'd probably done it to others.

If that wasn't enough, there was the other side, the one governed by personal pride. They knew the risk, putting pressure on Jacob that way, but they felt they had made enough of a case for themselves that they could rely on Jacob just taking the hint and backing off. Now though it was out there, and there was no going back. It couldn't be undone, only dealt with… somehow.

The day had gone by and still Rachel had not managed both of the things she'd been trying to achieve. She hadn't caught hold of Jacob. She'd spotted his all-too-familiar hair bobbing along within a throng of students moving down the hall at one point. She knew it was him; she'd called his name, and the ball of hair had high-tailed it out of there.

She didn't get her chance to talk to Quinn, either. She didn't know what to expect from her. There was a moment, maybe two or three, where they'd been on good terms through the benefits of Glee Club, but this was different. She wasn't going to be mad at her, was she? No, why would she? It wasn't her fault, and really what would be the point anyway? She wasn't sorry, and yet the first thing her mind had screamed as they'd finally come face to face again, on the way to Glee Club, was 'I'm sorry.' She kept it on the inside though. They were both quiet at first, looking around and seeing how the looks increased when they were both in the same place.

"Well…" Quinn started, nodding along. "That went that way." Rachel looked back to her, fending off looks from a couple of jocks. She wasn't so much intimidated as she was annoyed. Quinn seemed to share the sentiment.

"I have never wanted to subject anyone to a Slushie to the face, but I almost want to make an exception for him… Is that… I don't really want to, but I do…" she shook her head.

"They'll get over it," Quinn shrugged. Rachel went on nodding, but she wasn't so ready to drop the matter. "Right?"

"And Jacob?" she asked her. "Maybe it's not just for us." Quinn frowned, unsure what Rachel was getting at. "We show him, and then the next time he thinks about pulling that trick on someone, he'll think twice," she nodded, a sudden bit of malice in her eye. Quinn looked back at her, amused and afraid at once.

They paused their talk, as they neared the Glee room and saw Brittany and Santana coming from the other end of the hall. Brittany, as was her tendency, seemed mostly unaffected… unlike Santana. For her part, her face and posture hardened.

"Woah…" Rachel blinked. They watched the two Cheerios move along into the room. After a moment, she looked back to Quinn. "Okay, look… we can take care of this, we owe this to ourselves not to just take it lying down." Quinn seemed to hesitate, folding back into herself. Finally though, she looked back to Rachel.

"Okay," she nodded, smirking. It was time for payback.

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4: The Pay in Payback

_Chapter 4... hump chapter? (oh Will...)_

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**"The Shine in Sunshine: The Pay in Payback"**

After Glee practice, Rachel had looked across the way, to Quinn. They'd gone and sat on opposite ends of the room, hoping to evade questions from the others. That worked about as well as could be expected. Any chance there was, a whispered question would come along. They ignored it for a while, but the longer this went, the more quietly aggravated they became. They were not paying attention to what Mr. Schuester was going on about anymore. On either end, the chatter was buzzing louder and louder into their ears, and at once they burst…

"Stop it!" Rachel turned to Kurt and Mercedes, who smirked and sat back.

"Back off!" Quinn turned to Santana, who frowned but did not waver.

"Rachel, Quinn…" They looked back to Mr. Schuester, hesitating whether to sit back up like nothing had happened, or staying as they were. "Is something wrong? Or did you want to volunteer as the first team?" Both of them froze, realizing they had no idea what he'd been going on about. He nodded at this realization and was about to move on, when Quinn had an idea, and she sat up, looking to Will.

"Yes, we do."

"We do?" Rachel blurted out, just as confused as the others if not more. She looked to Quinn. The blonde looked back and mouthed a word Rachel finally recognized as 'payback.' This gave them the chance to work on their plan, and their Glee assignment as well, which would be harder to do if they had to split their time with whatever other partner they would have gotten. So she looked back to Will. "We do," she repeated. The questions silenced. When they got up to leave at the end of practice, Rachel went up to Quinn.

"I still don't know what we're doing," Quinn admitted.

"I got it," she promised, getting a nod from her partner. They paused, looking around to see the rest of the room was clearing. "This is fine, I've already got enough ideas in my head to…" The last of the others had finally cleared the doors. "So how do we get Jacob?" She looked back to Quinn, who smirked.

"Do you really have all those ideas already?" Rachel shrugged, as though to say 'of course.' "Okay, I trust you," she nodded along, which got her smiling. "Come on, we probably shouldn't do this here."

"The assignment?" Rachel asked, still locked into their previous topic. She realized her misstep just as Quinn looked back at her. Rachel smirked awkwardly and grabbed her bag. "Let's go."

Dad and Pop's open offer for Quinn to return to the Berry home had been given only one day before. They hadn't expected for the girls to be there together for the second day in a row. The mood was different, though the fathers couldn't know why… the girls were hardly realizing it themselves.

They came to sit in Rachel's room, where the conversation had easily turned on to 'dealings with Jacob.' They could hardly have any success at one-upping one another, as Rachel would always win. The way she had it, his attentions had been trained on her for more time than she could remember.

"In third grade, he would ask to smell my hair," she recalled, feeling that shudder return as Quinn chuckled.

"I guess the rest of us get it easy," she teased playfully, and Rachel nodded in earnest agreement.

"I just want to make him squirm… But how I do that without…" she started gesturing, and just crept herself out in the process. Quinn nodded knowingly, sitting up.

"No, no, you don't even need to get close, not with him. You keep your distance, just always there, give him that silent kind of look," she demonstrated. "Keep the promise of something happening," she nodded. "He'll do all the work for us, and all we have to do is watch." Rachel nodded approvingly.

"I can get on board with that." Quinn agreed quietly, as they found their planning had come together a lot faster than they thought it would. This left them gathered there and, with nothing in their way, Rachel explained to her the assignment they'd volunteered themselves to work up together. They worked it out, with Rachel's ideas. Quinn trusted her in that capacity, and it paid off.

Quinn stayed for yet another dinner at the Berry home. Pop and Dad were thrilled, which got a laugh out of their guest. She was remembering more and more all the times she'd spent in their presence as a child.

They parted ways after dinner, knowing the next day would be the start of their revenge.

TO BE CONTINUED


	5. Chapter 5: The Turn in Return

_Chapter 5... last new Glee songs day of the season *sigh*_

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**"The Shine in Sunshine: The Turn in Return"**

It was a new morning, a new day, and it felt like it. Things were happening for them now, in ways they hadn't the previous day. Things weren't out of their control anymore. Now the power was theirs again, and they would use it. Their campaign of quiet terror would begin as soon as they could locate Jacob.

They continued to have to deal with people at the same time, people who understood nothing of what was going on, but went about as though they did. It was probably a great big laugh for them… The cheerleader and the outcast, being all buddy-buddy as kids in tutus… Yes, such a laugh. And Jacob had made it that way.

They were both at their lockers, and Rachel was grabbing some books when she heard a cough and turned. Quinn caught her eye, face set as she nodded past her. Rachel turned and she saw: there came Jacob. She set her face as well. When he saw the two stern-looking girls, staring back at him as they were, he froze. He gulped, hesitating… The girls just went on staring. They could see his right foot, inching back ever so slowly, but they didn't break. He inched, and inched…

As one, Rachel and Quinn took one, decisive step forward… and Jacob ran off. The girls looked back to one another, and Quinn walked up to Rachel after closing her locker door. "How was that?" she asked.

"It's a good start," she had to admit, smirking. "It's going to be a good day," she breathed in.

They headed off to their classes, separating. Of all the days for them to do this, it couldn't be more perfect. They had classes with him, all day, sometimes just Quinn or Rachel, and sometimes both.

First period faced off Jacob against Quinn. He came into class to find her already there, sitting at her desk. She could hear his whimper from across the room; she kept her face strong, watched him. He took a real careful walk to his seat. The whole period, Quinn swallowed back her laugh, seeing how straight he was sitting. On the way out, she threw him another look, and he stumbled back into his seat.

Second period squared off Jacob against Rachel Berry herself. He had been cooling off from first period as he'd walked from one room to the other, to the point where he'd somehow forgotten he was about to come face to face with the second half of his stare down force.

When he did come in, and saw Rachel, he remembered very fast, coming to a sudden stop, which got the others coming behind him to collide, calling out in annoyance, pushing him forward. He looked back to Rachel, who gave that same look she'd perfected with Quinn, while innocently pulling her book open. He almost knocked his chair over as he came to take a seat.

The periods passed by, and Rachel and Quinn continued putting non-pressure pressure on Jacob. As the time went on, it was for certain: he wasn't forgetting anymore, he was dreading. Now he knew what to expect, on top of what he couldn't expect. At some point, it wouldn't just be staring; at some point, they'd do something, and he'd be so frazzled he wouldn't see it coming or wouldn't be able to stop it… Rachel was getting exactly what she wanted. Without even having to get anywhere near him, she was getting him to squirm. It was what they'd wanted.

As the day went by though, it started to be that they felt bad. They weren't even really trying anymore, and yet Jacob was further and further losing it. He didn't even come to last period.

When the day was done, Rachel and Quinn met up before leaving class. They both knew what they were about to say before they even said a thing. They nodded slowly. "I think we've made our point," Quinn told her.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed quietly. "We're done," she declared. They went on their way, on their own.

As Rachel went, she saw how the leftover pictures had been taken down, every last one of them. She felt that bit of guilt go and grow on her, sticky and hard to erase. And when she saw that familiar hair up ahead, she moved up to meet him.

"Jacob?" He stumbled and tried to move away. "Wait…" she asked and he stopped. She wasn't sure if he was reacting normally or out of some obligation created by the fear they'd both put in him on this day. "I'm not going to do anything," she shook her head.

"Yeah, right," he kept trying to sneak off. She moved to get in his way and he jumped, which let Rachel see crumpled up pictures in his hand. He'd been taking them down.

"Really," she nodded. "We've made our point," she repeated Quinn's word. "It's done." She started to move away, but then…

"What kind of game are you guys pulling?" She turned back to him; he still flinched.

"What are you talking about?" she asked with a shrug. He blinked, realizing she didn't know.

"You might want to get your things straight. I was going to bury it. But she said to go ahead. Quinn told me to go for it." Jacob took his chance at getting away while Rachel stood there, frozen.

TO BE CONTINUED


	6. Chapter 6: The Con in Control

_Chapter 6! Happy finale day, fellow gleeks!_

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**"The Shine in Sunshine: The Con in Control"**

Rachel had been turning it over in her head all night, what Jacob had told her. He could have been lying. He could have figured turning the two of them back on each other would take the heat off him for good and then he'd be home free. She certainly wouldn't put that past him.

But then there was the other option, as much as she didn't want to consider it, that he'd told the truth and therefore Quinn hadn't. 'Shocker?' her mind had told her before she could stop it.

She realized in doubting her now that she'd actually started to trust Quinn in these last few days. Working together, both in dealing with the Jacob situation and in preparation for their Glee assignment, she'd seen this other side of her, and it became almost as though she could remember what it felt like, in the days of the Sunshine Girls, to hang out with her… it actually had felt good.

Now it was tainted with the chance that it was all a lie, yet another act from the Quinn Fabray who would torment her and call her names. Part of her didn't want to, didn't want confirmation, but she knew she had to.

So the next morning, she'd arrived to McKinley and waited by her locker for Quinn to arrive at hers. Her stomach felt heavy, dragging her down. When Quinn finally showed, Rachel closed her locker with a quick look around and went up to Quinn. The blonde quickly acknowledged her before continuing what she was doing.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about rehearsal," she spoke as she fished around in her bag. Rachel sighed, trying to find her words.

"Is it true… Did you tell Jacob to let out the picture?"

Quinn stopped what she was doing before turning her head to look at her. "Rachel…" Her eyes said it all.

"I can't believe you…" she shook her head, growing harder. "Why would you do it? You go and nearly bite my head off when I lose it, twice, but you go and let it out for all to see. It's like a game, isn't it?"

"Hey," Quinn rose up, challenged.

"No, it is," Rachel continued. "I actually…" she started, then stopped and shook her head. "I didn't want to believe it, because I thought we were changing, I thought…"

"That I'd changed?" Quinn guessed. "Who exactly do you think I am? You think it's so easy, that I have to be one thing or the other thing but I can't be both?" Quinn went on, towering now without even realizing.

"I don't even know anymore," Rachel maintained, towering back; not many could or would face her off. "I guess I'm just used to it being the other way," she shrugged, staring back. "I figured you could surprise me, but this? I'm actually not surprised." She missed the twinge in Quinn's face as she nodded.

"Right. So… maybe all this was just a mistake then."

"Maybe," Rachel nodded back; Quinn saw her twinge.

"Might as well cut your losses then," she went on speaking for her. Rachel took the cue handed to her and walked off to class. Quinn waited a moment before turning to watch her go… watch and wait to see if she'd stop and come back… she didn't. She frowned and shut her locker, heading off to class.

The chatter about them, as she'd expected, had slowly started to dial down… It was just as well, because she was not in the mood to deal with them. As she sat in class, her mind wandered to those dinners at the Berry home.

If she'd let her, she had to explain to Rachel what had happened.

TO BE CONTINUED


	7. Chapter 7: The Will in Willing

_Final chapter! Tomorrow cycle 12 starts, as we head into this long summer... *sigh*_

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**"The Shine in Sunshine: The Will in Willing"**

Quinn had gone home and, she didn't know… Maybe it was being back home, but the moment she'd stepped through the door the song had been on her mind, subconsciously, consciously… She remembered how Pop had once told Rachel and her how he had gotten the idea for their name from it. By the time three hours had passed, with the song stuck in her head, she'd finally figured out what she had to do.

The next morning, early enough to make it there first, she went up to Rachel's locker. She knew the combination from… well, a prank she had pulled with Santana and Brittany months before. This time though, she was using it for better means.

Morning went by, one of the few where she didn't see Rachel at all. She had no idea if she'd found what she'd left for her already. She hoped she had, and that she would understand what it meant.

Lunch time came by, and Quinn looked back once she set down her tray. She spotted Rachel a few tables away. She was writing something… Quinn sighed, turning back to her lunch. She must have been back to working on her 'exercise for Glee Club.' At least she could say she'd tried to explain to…

"This seat taken?" Quinn looked back over her shoulder, finding Rachel standing there the way she had, days before, with her tray and her things in hand. Quinn gave a smile and nodded. Once she sat, Quinn could see the envelope tucked in Rachel's notebook… She also saw she seemed ready to hear her out, so she didn't waste time.

"I know I didn't give you reason to trust me, once you knew what I did. I probably would have done the same." She paused. "You remember, you said… you were sorry you got me 'in this mess,' and… I just thought 'what mess?'" she shrugged. Rachel listened quietly. "It's like I said… I'm not one or the other, I am that girl, the… the cheerleader, the mean girl, or… I was, still am… just differently…" she shook her head, starting to confuse herself. She sighed. "Let's just say it's one trait I hope I won't be passing on to this baby." They shared a smirk, and Quinn nodded. "I'm also this other girl, the one you got to know these days…" Again, she paused.

"What d…" Rachel started, but Quinn got back to point.

"As much as it's surprised me… this hasn't sucked," she looked back to Rachel, who chuckled. "I don't know what the next few months are going to be like, and… what will happen after the baby… But I just feel like maybe I need to change some things, for her sake and mine both." She hesitated. "I liked… having dinner with you guys. It reminded me of how I used to feel when I'd be there, when I was little… happy."

"Yeah," Rachel nodded slowly, knowing what she meant.

"So then when this whole Jacob business happened, I thought… 'It's going to come out, one time or another. All it'll take is one of us… pissing him off again,'" she shook her head. "I figured we might as well just get it out of the way, let everyone have their laugh and then we could just get on with it, start figuring out… how to build ourselves back up." Rachel smiled, then frowned with curiosity.

"And the payback?" she asked. Quinn shrugged slowly.

"Couldn't do nothing. Besides… he kind of had it coming," she pointed out, and Rachel nodded in agreement. They paused, and Rachel reached for the envelope tucked in her notebook.

"Found this in my locker this morning…" she put it on the table. "I knew you had my locker combination," she squinted, shrugging it off. "I remember this," she nodded with a smile. "Not a lot, but… I do."

"I know we're supposed to have our presentation for Glee this afternoon, and we had everything set, but maybe if you're up for it, we could do this one instead," she nodded to the envelope. Rachel looked at her, smirking as she reached in to pull out the envelope contents: sheet music and a thin CD case. Quinn saw Rachel had written notes throughout the sheets… she smiled. "Is this what you were doing before?" Rachel nodded.

"I think you're right, I think we need this. And the club has to expect something like this by now," she pointed out.

"Right… well, we should run through it at least once before this afternoon," Quinn told her. Rachel put the items back in the envelope.

"Come on, we'll find Brad, and…" she scanned the cafeteria, finally spotting the Jazz Ensemble. "Meet me in the Glee room, find our piano man," she hurried off. Quinn watched her go before taking her things and dashing off as well. She could feel it in her heart right then… They had just passed a threshold together.

Quinn had found Brad in the hall, flagged him down and brought him to the Glee room, showed him the sheet music. Soon after, Rachel arrived with the Jazz Ensemble in tow, half of them carrying their half-eaten lunches, which they put aside so they could get to rehearsing. By the end of lunch period, they were ready.

That afternoon, they came into Glee practice and sat side by side. Eventually, Will looked to them, giving them their cue. The girls got up, grabbing a pair of stools and sitting center stage. They could see the others whispering, and Quinn firmly cleared her throat, silencing them. She nodded to Rachel, who smirked and turned to Will and the others.

"This song may not mean anything to all of you, but… it means a lot to us," she signalled Brad and the others, and they began to play. The girls sang together, before separating the lyrics.

_[RQ] "Here comes the sun / Here comes the sun, and I say / It's alright"_

_[R] "Little darling" / It's been a long, cold, lonely winter"_

_[Q] "Little darling / It feels like years since it's been here"_

_[RQ] "Here comes the sun / Here comes the sun, and I say / It's alright"_

The rest of the club seemed to take in the song, as much as they could. Even if they didn't know the whole story, some of it was right there in front of them.

_[Q] "Little darling / The smiles returning to their faces"_

_[R] "Little darling / It seems like years since it's been here"_

_[RQ] "Here comes the sun / Here comes the sun, and I say / It's alright_

_Sun, sun, sun, here it comes / Sun, sun, sun, here it comes / Sun, sun, sun, here it comes / Sun, sun, sun, here it comes / Sun, sun, sun, here it comes"_

_[Q] "Little darling / I feel that ice is slowly melting"_

_[R] "Little darling / It seems like years since it's been clear"_

_[RQ] "Here comes the sun, here comes the sun_

_It's alright_

_Here comes the sun, / Here comes the sun, and I say" / [R] "It's alright" / [Q] "It's alright"_

When they finished, they shared a smile before looking back to the others. Will smiled as well, clapping along with the club.

Rachel invited Quinn to another Berry family dinner. They still had ways to go before their twice-fractured trust could heal up for good.

THE END


End file.
